"[Arlen] Specter’s daughter-in-law, Tracy Specter, is chairman of the most powerful, most wealthy Republican county in the state — Montgomery County, and she’s adamantly pro-abortion."

Even though it appears Specter is likely to be picked as the Senate Judiciary Chair come January, it's stuff like this that still frightens me.

But then there's this:
"Peggy Noonan says 'Ssssshhhhhhhh'" (from K-LO at NRO):

"Peggy writes, 'Conservatives have been angry with him for a long time and for good reason. They have expressed their unhappiness. They have made their point. Mr. Specter has been chastened and warned; the leadership of his party told him to fight for himself. He knows the Republican Party will expect him to support the nomination of judges free of a Roe v. Wade litmus test, or any litmus test, including a religious test. Many believe, and with reason, that a practicing Catholic isn't allowed to be a federal judge in America anymore. Mr. Specter will have to be more open-minded, more supportive, than he's been in the past. But he looks like a man who got the message, doesn't he?'

"I agree, definitely. And take a chastened Chairman Specter as a partial victory for conservatism. That said, conservatives, I think do have to be realistic. Specter is who he is, and the White House would be freer to be bolded, conservatively speaking, without him. That's just reality. One should not pretend otherwise."

I'll Believe It When I Hear These Exact Words: "Specter to declare publicly that he won't block anti-abortion judicial nominees."

"Senators have said that there would have to be some kind of public reckoning for Specter to smooth over relations with abortion opponents, and to give them some political cover from the e-mails, faxes and phone calls they have been receiving."

Hmmmmm.

"GOP Judiciary Committee members, who will take an official vote on his chairmanship in January. That vote, whichever way it goes, can be appealed to the full GOP caucus...

"...no one spoke out for or against Specter during the [Tuesday Nov. 16] meeting."

Well, if one Senator does, apparently, it can still be done right, and I for one am still not letting up:

"Specter's chairmanship must still be confirmed by 55 members of the Republican Conference on January 5. Each senator will have the opportunity to cast a secret ballot on Specter's chairmanship if one senator will stand up and challenge the qualifications of Senator Specter based upon his comments and his record against pro-life judges and justices." ~ from The Family Research Council latest email

Interesting quote from CNN by way of NRO, actually before the news broke:

"It would seem to me and others it'd be inappropriate to be issuing that kind of warning to the president of the United States [such as Specter issued last week]," Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., told CNN Tuesday [Nov. 16]. "It sounded like Sen. Specter might have a litmus test [emphasis this author], and I don't think the Judiciary Committee should have a litmus test."

Litmus Test
n.

1. A test for chemical acidity or basicity using litmus paper.
2. A test that uses a single indicator to prompt a decision.

"Acidity" or "basicity." Pro-Roe v. Wade, or anti-Roe v. Wade. Pro-choice, or anti-choice. Pro-abortion, or pro-life.

"Won't block anti-abortion judicial nominees," "won't block pro-abortion judicial nominees."

"Litmus test" applies to both ways.